You've Got Mail Monday!

It's Monday again. Time to peek into my mailbox. It was a bit slower this week, but the catalogs keep coming. A new American Girl catalog arrived. The girls are hoping for this year's doll of the year, McKenna. Oriental Trading's Fun & Faith catalog came too.

A postcard about the 2013 New England SCBWI Conference had me doing cartwheels. I didn't get to attend this year's, but my goal is to make sure I am there for 2013. I also received my latest issue of Children's Writer.

Lastly, The Christian Alphabet by Tracy Sands was delivered. I'm reviewing that one at The Children's and Teens' Book Connection. I've been posting my picture book ideas for Picture Book Idea Month (PiBoIdMo) there if you would like to check out potential picture books I might be working on next year. One of the books from when I participated in 2010, Macaroni and Cheese for Thanksgiving, is under contract. You can find this blog at http://childrensandteensbookconnection.wordpress.com/

Hope you all have a blessed Thanksgiving!

You've Got Mail Monday

It's Monday, so that means another peek inside my mailbox. After returning from vacation, we had a boatload of mail. Thankfully there wasn't as much to sift through last week. I think our mail carrier is on vacation, because the mail is coming later than usual, and one day we didn't get any mail at all--which rarely happens.

A new Justice® catalog arrived. The girls try to beat each other to the table when that one comes in. The Lil Diva (10) and the Lil Princess (8) have already given me a list of things they want for back to school. Hard to believe school starts up again in month.

Another great catalog that came in was Pottery Barn Kids. We're eyeing their Larkin Bedroom Collection for the Lil Princess. Her bed belonged to her father and her dresser was the one I bought when I was pregnant for John Boy (okay, not the best nickname, but I had to call him something). Our son is now 25, so I'm impressed that the dresser is still usable. Our girl is definitely due for an upgrade. We bought the Lil Diva bedroom furniture from Bob's Discount Furniture a couple of years ago. She's tough on things, so I didn't want to spend a lot of money. It's holding up well, and she's been happy with it, so it was a good purchase.

The American Girl® doll catalog also showed up. We had a group of girls over yesterday and they all played in the bonus room with their American Girl dolls. It's cute to watch them. I think Santa is supposed to bring McKenna this year.

Our Fed-Ex® driver dropped off a package that contained a scanner and software from the National Consumer Panel. I used to participate in this program years ago, when the technology wasn't as advanced as it is now. After reviewing the contents: scanner, charge base, USB cable, and software, I've decided it isn't for me. What you are supposed to do is scan your purchases. In addition, you can complete surveys using the scanner's keyboard. You earn points for rewards.

I must have forgotten how time consuming a project it is. Though you scan barcodes, there is still a lot of manual entry: store name, if you used coupons, if you used a rewards card, and the most time consuming--price and quantity. Granted, the scanner will use the data you input to remember your favorite stores, but I buy over $200 worth of groceries a week. I pay attention to prices while in the store, but once I get home I just want to put it all away. If I need to hold onto my receipt and find a price to match up each product I purchase, it will take me an hour or more to get all the groceries put away. It's a shame, because I really wanted to do this.

That's it for You've Got Mail Monday. Look for my reviews of WordGirl: The Rise of Miss Power and Super Why: Around the World Adventure coming this week.

You've Got Mail Mondays!

It's time for another You've Got Mail Monday. The postman delivered some interesting stuff this week.

Casey and Kyle: I'm Saving Up for a Big Brother by Will Robertson arrived mid-week. This is a comic strip collection that I'll be reviewing in February at The Children's and Teens' Book Connection. Just skimming through it, the book seems to have a Calvin & Hobbes feel to it. I can't tell you how much I miss that strip.

Two sample packets of Seventh Generation Chlorine Free Baby Wipes (I think the actual brand name for them based upon the company's website is Free & Clear Baby Wipes. Though my daughters are well past the diaper stage, we still use wipes every day to clean hands and faces. I'll be reviewing this product here. The envelope also included a coupon for $1.50 off Seventh Generation Free & Clear Diapers and a coupon for $1.00 off a Seventh Generation laundry product.

A new Land's End catalog came in at the beginning of the week. I love their clothes, but I usually wait until sales to purchase them. Since I've ordered in the past I receive regular emails with discounts or free shipping offers. One of the most important reasons I buy from Land's End is because their clothes for children are age appropriate. My 8- and 10-year-old girls don't need pants with writing across the behind or short skirts.

A new catalog arrived this week for a company I had never heard of before--Athleta. They are part of the GAP, Banana Republic, Old Navy stores. I buy from Old Navy a lot for the girls because they grow out of their clothes so quickly that it doesn't make sense to spend too much money on their clothing--especially the Lil Diva (10). She grew so much this past summer that only about 5 items remained in her closet for back-to-school.

Athleta sells sportswear, casual clothes and outerwear. They are a bit pricey for me, but I really liked their Shock Cord Anorak. I desperately need a new lightweight, water resistant jacket, so I might try that one.

The girls were thrilled to see the new American Girl catalog arrive this week. The new doll of the year is McKenna. Santa brought last year's doll of the year, Kanani for Christmas. McKenna is into gymnastics. What I love about these dolls is that I can order them with a book, so I can encourage reading at the same time. We visited the American Girl Place in New York City when we were there last month. Truly an amazing place to visit with little girls.

And finally, the postman delivered my Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators Bulletin for Jan/Feb 2012. I became a member of SCBWI last year. The bulletins are filled with writing craft articles, book events, and regional events. The New England SCBWI Conference will be held in Springfield, MA this year, so I'm excited about possibly attending. We'll see what the budget says.

So, what was your mail week like. Did you receive anything exciting?



You've Got Mail Mondays are unsponsored posts. I received no monetary compensation to mention any company names or products.